TEHRAN – On Thursday, Artists at Risk Connection (ARC) issued a statement expressing deep concern for the well-being of young Palestinian documentary filmmaker Abdallah Motan. Arrested by Israeli authorities on January 13, he was sentenced to six months in “administrative detention” without trial or charges.
Motan, a 30-year-old film director, director of photography, and photographer from Ramallah, has a history of making documentary films in Palestine and internationally.
In December, his film “Deferred Reclaim” won a special jury award in the Gaza section of the 18th edition of Iran’s International Documentary Film Festival, known as Cinéma Vérité, held in Tehran.
Mortin was unable to attend the closing ceremony due to the prevailing situation in Palestine and Gaza. In a note addressed to the festival’s organizers, he expressed his gratitude: “Thank you for honoring the stories of Palestinian martyrs, prisoners, and their families. I wish I could have attended the closing ceremony.” Noni”
He has particularly strong ties to Italy, spending 18 months in Naples for a journalistic internship. He will return to Italy this February to take part in the 21st edition of the AI ARD Film Festival, organized by the Sardinian-Palestinian Friendship Association.
In addition to his filmmaking, Mortan works with young men and women in the Palestinian village of al-Zubaidat in the Jordan Valley to use basic tools for documentation and editing. We have been working hard to organize local film workshops aimed at daily experience.
His body of work includes many local and international projects, including documentaries shot in Latin America, Africa, Europe, the Middle East and China. He has also participated in numerous film festivals around the world.
According to Israeli authorities, Motan was arrested at the Al Karama intersection while attempting to leave the country for the United Arab Emirates via Jordan, but they did not provide further details. He is currently being held at the Gush Etzion detention facility near Hebron. Hebron has faced criticism for its poor conditions and treatment of detainees.
ARC joins others, including the International Coalition of Filmmakers at Risk (ICFR) and the IDFA Institute, in demanding Motan’s release and calling on Israeli authorities to protect Palestinian artists and cultural workers. I have joined the organization.
Motan’s family and these organizations are calling for his immediate release and the dropping of all charges against him.
Julie Trevor, Executive Director of Ark, said:
“Israel’s targeting of artists and cultural professionals through its policy of mass arrests not only silences individual voices, but also freely participates in the cultural life of Palestinians, and constitutes a clear violation of international human rights law. We urge the Israeli authorities to immediately and unconditionally release hundreds of artists, journalists and writers who have been unfairly targeted across the occupied Palestinian territories. I’ll call you.”
The Ark recently reported on the arbitrary arrest of East Jerusalem dancer and cultural activist Shaden al-Koo, and the tragic death of painter Fatih Ghaben, who was denied the right to travel outside Gaza for emergency treatment by Israeli authorities. We are also working on death.
According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Mortan is one of at least 43 film workers and journalists currently imprisoned by Israeli authorities.
This latest wave of arrests in the West Bank occurred during a newly implemented ceasefire that temporarily halted Israeli military operations in Gaza and facilitated the exchange of Palestinian and Israeli prisoners.
The Committee to Protect Journalists condemned the actions of Israeli authorities and called for Mortan’s release.
The award-winning filmmaker’s detention is seen as an attack on freedom of expression and an attempt to silence voices aimed at exposing the occupation’s practices to the international community.
The Tehran Times newspaper also condemns Motan’s detention, calls for his immediate release, and emphasizes the importance of protecting the rights and freedoms of artists in the region.
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